google-drive-automation

SKILL.md

Google Drive

Lightweight Google Drive integration with standalone OAuth authentication. No MCP server required. Full read/write access.

Requires Google Workspace account. Personal Gmail accounts are not supported.

When to Use

You need to search, list, upload, download, move, or organize Google Drive files and folders.

The task requires direct Drive read/write automation through local scripts in a Workspace account.

You want file-level Drive operations without introducing an MCP server dependency.

First-Time Setup

Authenticate with Google (opens browser):

python scripts/auth.py login

Check authentication status:

python scripts/auth.py status

Logout when needed:

python scripts/auth.py logout

Read Commands

All operations via scripts/drive.py. Auto-authenticates on first use if not logged in.

# Search for files (full-text search)
python scripts/drive.py search "quarterly report"

# Search by title only
python scripts/drive.py search "title:budget"

# Search using Google Drive URL (extracts ID automatically)
python scripts/drive.py search "https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ABC123..."

# Search files shared with you
python scripts/drive.py search --shared-with-me

# Search with pagination
python scripts/drive.py search "report" --limit 5 --page-token "..."

# Find a folder by exact name
python scripts/drive.py find-folder "Project Documents"

# List files in root Drive
python scripts/drive.py list

# List files in a specific folder
python scripts/drive.py list 1ABC123xyz --limit 20

# Download a file
python scripts/drive.py download 1ABC123xyz ./downloads/report.pdf

Write Commands

# Upload a file to Drive root
python scripts/drive.py upload ~/Documents/report.pdf

# Upload to a specific folder
python scripts/drive.py upload ~/Documents/report.pdf --folder 1ABC123xyz

# Upload with a custom name
python scripts/drive.py upload ~/Documents/report.pdf --name "Q4 Report.pdf"

# Create a new folder
python scripts/drive.py create-folder "Project Documents"

# Create a folder inside another folder
python scripts/drive.py create-folder "Attachments" --parent 1ABC123xyz

# Move a file to a different folder
python scripts/drive.py move FILE_ID DESTINATION_FOLDER_ID

# Copy a file
python scripts/drive.py copy FILE_ID
python scripts/drive.py copy FILE_ID --name "Report Copy" --folder 1ABC123xyz

# Rename a file or folder
python scripts/drive.py rename FILE_ID "New Name.pdf"

# Move a file to trash
python scripts/drive.py trash FILE_ID

Search Query Formats

The search command supports multiple query formats:

Format
Example
Description

Full-text
"quarterly report"
Searches file contents and names

Title
"title:budget"
Searches file names only

URL
https://drive.google.com/...
Extracts and uses file/folder ID

Folder ID
1ABC123...
Lists folder contents (25+ char IDs)

Native query
mimeType='application/pdf'
Pass-through Drive query syntax

File ID Format

Google Drive uses long IDs like 1ABC123xyz_-abc123. Get IDs from:

search results

find-folder results

list results

Google Drive URLs

Download Limitations

Regular files (PDFs, images, etc.) download directly

Google Docs/Sheets/Slides cannot be downloaded via this tool

For Google Workspace files, use export or dedicated tools

Token Management

Tokens stored securely using the system keyring:

macOS: Keychain

Windows: Windows Credential Locker

Linux: Secret Service API (GNOME Keyring, KDE Wallet, etc.)

Service name: google-drive-skill-oauth

Automatically refreshes expired tokens using Google's cloud function.

Limitations

Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.

Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.

Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.